Accessibility and Inclusion of Students with Disabilities at the University of Idaho
Faculty Mentor Information
Erik Luvaas, University of Idaho
Presentation Date
7-2025
Abstract
Since 2006, the number of undergraduate students with disabilities has increased from 11% to 19.4 % across four-year universities nationwide (Pingry O’Neill et al., 2007; Tarconish et al., 2023). However, compared to students without disabilities, those with disabilities have lower rates of enrollment, retention, and graduation (Soria, 2021). They also report a lower sense of belonging and rate their campus climate worse than nondisabled peers (Soria, 2021). This project focuses on collecting data on student attitudes towards campus climate, environment, and services in comparison to markers of student success and satisfaction. A survey was conducted in the Fall semester of 2024, with a final sample of n=371 University of Idaho students with and without disabilities. The study’s authors found that compared to students without disabilities, students with disabilities experience significantly higher levels of loneliness, and significantly lower levels of course and social academic self-efficacy. Additionally, they rate their satisfaction with campus accessibility features much lower and the importance of those features much higher than their nondisabled peers. The authors recommend that the University of Idaho explore accessibility and inclusion efforts for students with disabilities in order to address these issues.
References
Pingry O’Neill, L., Markward, M., & French, J. (2007). Predictors of Graduation Among College Students with Disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 25(1), 21–36.
Soria, K. (2021). Supporting Undergraduate Students with Disabilities: A Focus on Campus Climate and Sense of Belonging (pp. 1–16). National Center for College Students with Disabilities.
Tarconish, E., Lombardi, A., & Taconet, A. (2023). Disability Awareness & Inclusive Teaching Online Training Videos for College Instructors Featuring Students with Disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 35(4), 339–353.
Accessibility and Inclusion of Students with Disabilities at the University of Idaho
Since 2006, the number of undergraduate students with disabilities has increased from 11% to 19.4 % across four-year universities nationwide (Pingry O’Neill et al., 2007; Tarconish et al., 2023). However, compared to students without disabilities, those with disabilities have lower rates of enrollment, retention, and graduation (Soria, 2021). They also report a lower sense of belonging and rate their campus climate worse than nondisabled peers (Soria, 2021). This project focuses on collecting data on student attitudes towards campus climate, environment, and services in comparison to markers of student success and satisfaction. A survey was conducted in the Fall semester of 2024, with a final sample of n=371 University of Idaho students with and without disabilities. The study’s authors found that compared to students without disabilities, students with disabilities experience significantly higher levels of loneliness, and significantly lower levels of course and social academic self-efficacy. Additionally, they rate their satisfaction with campus accessibility features much lower and the importance of those features much higher than their nondisabled peers. The authors recommend that the University of Idaho explore accessibility and inclusion efforts for students with disabilities in order to address these issues.
References
Pingry O’Neill, L., Markward, M., & French, J. (2007). Predictors of Graduation Among College Students with Disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 25(1), 21–36.
Soria, K. (2021). Supporting Undergraduate Students with Disabilities: A Focus on Campus Climate and Sense of Belonging (pp. 1–16). National Center for College Students with Disabilities.
Tarconish, E., Lombardi, A., & Taconet, A. (2023). Disability Awareness & Inclusive Teaching Online Training Videos for College Instructors Featuring Students with Disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 35(4), 339–353.